Discipline
Landscape Architecture
Expanding the event beyond the venue
The demands on the area surrounding a Populous venue are unique. One day, it might need to support tens of thousands of fans for an event. The next, when all those people are gone, the landscape becomes public realm, serving the local community.
We use the landscape to expand the event outside the walls of a venue, such as at Baylor University, where we built a lagoon around McLane Stadium and created a new tradition of “sailgating,” with football fans taking to the water to celebrate before and after games. Outside of game days, the lagoon and surrounding parkland become a peaceful haven for the community.
Drawing on our expertise of designing places where large numbers of people gather, we have developed a specialized approach to landscape architecture, which we call Experiential Landscape. The art of designing these expanding and contracting public spaces is at the core of Populous’ approach to landscape. We’re committed to building environments that integrate our venues effectively within their urban context, striking a balance between the needs of venue operators, event organizers, and neighboring communities.
Our team is able to address a wide array of project types and scales, tailoring our designs to suit regional variations in climate, geography and cultural behavior. Our masterplan for KL Sports City in Malaysia covers a whole city district, with a strategy that increased its green space from 5% to 30%. A green corridor of tropical plants is used to shade visitors from the hot sun and allow for pop-up outdoor events.
In Ahmedabad, Narendra Modi Stadium presented a different kind of challenge. With a capacity of 132,000, it’s the world’s largest stadium. The landscaping strategy is geared towards getting such a large number of fans safely and comfortably into the venue, while still providing ample opportunities for them to gather and build excitement.
Regardless of size, we always approach our projects with a focus on sustainability and community-centric solutions.
Landscape Architecture Highlights
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KL Sports City -
Allianz Field -
McLane Stadium at Baylor University -
KL Sports City -
Target Field -
KL Sports City -
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium -
London Stadium
How We Do It
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1
Collaboration at every step
Our design journey is inherently collaborative, bringing together experts from various disciplines. From the initial concept to the final details, our teams work closely with clients, communities, and other stakeholders.
This integrated approach allows us to create spaces that are as functional and sustainable as they are beautiful, ensuring the client's vision is expressed in a way that will leave a lasting legacy. -
2
Harmonizing with the local environment
Understanding and respecting the context of each site is crucial. We create landscapes that feel like they belong because we thoroughly investigate a site's geography and history. Designing a landscape that’s suitable for the Middle East involves different considerations to designing a landscape appropriate for South America, which is different again to designing in Europe. Shading is a primary concern in arid regions that experience high temperatures, while a different kind of shelter might be a requirement in areas that experience strong winds and high rainfall.
Placing an emphasis on sustainability, we incorporate ecological considerations and green technologies, aiming to minimize our environmental impact. This dedication to place-making, sustainability, and community engagement ensures our projects become habitats for biodiversity and arenas for public life. -
3
Creating spaces for social interaction
By creating a comprehensive vision for our projects, we’re able to map out opportunities that will expand on our clients' expectations. We pay close attention to the aspirations of the local community to maximize each project’s social and economic benefits, then set ourselves a bold vision, before crafting a masterplan that makes it achievable.
Whether we’re transforming a dense urban site into a vibrant public space or integrating a sports venue within a quiet city suburb, our aim is to create iconic destinations that serve the local community as much as they delight visiting fans.
More projects
16 items.
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Saint Paul, United States 2019 Allianz Field -
Seattle, United States 2021 Climate Pledge Arena -
San Francisco, United States 2023 The Crossing at East Cut -
Monterrey, Mexico 2015 Estadio BBVA -
Foxborough, United States 2023 Gillette Stadium North End Zone -
Sydney, Australia 2016 ICC Sydney -
Fort Myers, United States 2012 JetBlue Park at Fenway South -
Kowloon, Hong Kong March 2025 Kai Tak Sports Park -
Miami, United States 2012 LoanDepot Park -
London, United Kingdom 2011 London 2012 Olympic Stadium -
Starkville, United States 2019 Mississippi State University Dudy Noble Field -
Ahmedabad, India 2020 Narendra Modi Stadium -
Phoenix, United States 2022 San Francisco Giants Player Development Center at Papago Park -
Las Vegas, United States 2016 T-Mobile Arena -
London, United Kingdom 2019 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium -
Austin, United States 2021 University of Texas South End Zone
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